PPBF: Jazz Day

 

Today's Perfect Picture Book Friday pick

The making of a Famous Photograph

Jazz Day:
The Making of A Famous Photograph

Written by Roxane Orgill
Illustrated by Francis Vallejo


Candlewick, 2016
Grades 3-7, 66pp



Themes:
Non-fiction, Poetry, Music, History, Photography


Opening:
In 1958, Art Kane had a crazy idea. Gather as many jazz musicians as possible in one place for a black-and-white photograph, like a kind of graduation picture. Kane was a graphic designer and a jazz buff, not a photographer. He didn't even own a proper camera. But he pitched the idea to the boss at Esquire Magazine, and the boss went for it.

Synopsis:
This startlingly beautiful collection of poems carries the varied rhythm of a jazz band repertoire. The poems are grouped to tell the story of a famous photograph taken for Esquire in 1958, which set out to gather all the great names in jazz music in one place for posterity. This fully-packed volume includes an introduction, author's note, bibliography, links, biographies of the various performers, and a page on the Harlem Renaissance. It's awesome!


What I Love:
I don't always react as I should to poetry and I only like hot jazz, but this book fascinated me from page one. The author's fluid poetry was expressive, scintillating, exuberant: everything I love about jazz. The emotional illustration style complimented the captivating poems. Each of the twenty-one poems varies in style, but each carries the right tone, whether introducing a jazz great or setting the scene through a child's eyes. The back matter tells the whole story in delightful detail. I'd love to see this in libraries and classrooms. It's an engaging book which will fill a gaping hole in our kids' educations.


Bonus:
1. Fellow PPBF reviewer Patricia Nozell posted this book last July.

2. Read The Horn Book interview with the author, or visit the Q & A from Bookology about the making of the book.

3. Check out an interesting interview with the illustrator featured on Multicultural Children's Book Day. You can read his acceptance speech for the BGHB picture book award on their website.

4. The history of jazz music for kids, on Ducksters.

5. Learn about the Harlem Renaissance, linking the setting to the photo which inspired Jazz Day.

6. The video at right shows the illustrator talking about his creative process.

7. Check out these and more Perfect Picture Books at your local library. 

Reviewed by Vivian

Reviewed by Clara



Reviewed by Vivien



Reviewed by Barbara

 



Reviewed by Patricia



Reviewed by Jarm





Reviewed by Leslie

Reviewed by Sue and Joanne



Have you reviewed a Perfect Picture Book along this theme? Please leave the link in the comments below. Thanks!

Check out all the recommended titles for Perfect Picture Book Friday
for Friday, April 28, 2017 available on Susanna Leonard Hill's blog.

Poetry in April

April is

sorry I'm late



Need some ideas?

• There's still time to participate in the Dear Poet project.
• Sign up for the educator's newsletter for help in the classroom.
• Carry a poem in your pocket on April 27.
• Picture books are a great way to introduce young people to poetry. You'll find a partial list from Perfect Picture Book Friday on Susanna's blog.
• Sarah Tregay had compiled a huge list of middle grade novels in verse on her site.



Booked,written by Kwame Alexander
Cover by Steve Gardner
Reviewed by Karen Yingling

I highly recommend Kwame Alexander's Booked. Not only is it a gripping story with authentic voice told in poetry, but the main character is obsessed with soccer, making this book a perfect compliment to the National Library Day theme "Libraries Transform" represented by soccer star Julie Foudy.



Download the poster
 as a PDF from Poets.org

What other ways will you celebrate National Poetry Month?

PPBF: On Meadowview Street

In light of Poetry month, the National Library Week, and the celebration of Earth Day,
today's Perfect Picture Book Friday pick is



On Meadowview Street, by Henry Cole

On Meadowview Street

Written and illustrated by Henry Cole

Greenwillow Books, 2007
GradesPK-5, 449 words, 500L


Themes:
Gardens, Community, Empowerment


Opening:
"It was a big day. Caroline and her family were moving into their new house on Meadowview Street.

"After things were unpacked, Caroline's dad decided the grass was too tall and got busy mowing the lawn. Caroline was about to explore the new street to see if there was a meadow on Meadowview Street when she noticed a small blossom."

Synopsis:
Caroline and her family move into a new house on Meadowview Street, which looks rather like any boring subdivision in any average suburban neighborhood. Not a meadow in sight. When her father begins mowing the overgrown backyard, Caroline fences off one small spot where a wildflower grows. She has to enlarge the area as the wildflowers spread. Caroline notices animals in her yard, too. And soon the family is building birdhouses and digging ponds. Before long human visitors are stopping by. This amazingly sweet story proves that one pair of hands, no matter how small, can make a difference in the world.


What I Love:
This book fits so well with Earth Day's message to be better stewards of our environment. The plot is kid-powered, fitting with the empowerment theme for School Library Month. And, of course, the outstanding words and pictures work so well together, it's a great choice to add to the Perfect Picture Book Friday family.

The text and art are almost perfectly balanced. The illustration style is homey and alive, including plenty of details for young readers to pore over.


Bonus: 
1. Last year, Longwood Gardens featured this book for #CommunityRead Day. There are highlights from an interview with the author/illustrator, and suggestions for creating your own environmental revolution. While your there, why not plan a trip to the famous gardens which started as an arboretum in 1798!

Luz Makes a Splash, by Claudia Davila

2.  You absolutely need to share Claudia Davila's outstanding graphic novel, Luz Makes A Splash, with the kids in your life. It's entertaining, informative, and well-written. And it includes a detailed plan for using waste water to transform your community into an oasis in a smart and environmentally friendly way.

3. I love the suggestions from BirdSleuth for sustaining animal habitats, along with their review of this book.

4. The Humane Society suggests 13 ways to make your yard more critter-friendly.

5. National Library Week starts April 9th. The theme is "Libraries Transform." Meadowview Street is transformed in today's featured book. Why not stop by your local branch, take out some books on backyard gardening, and transform your neighborhood?

6. National Library Week's spokeswoman Julie Foudy's mission is to empower young women to impact their communities. Check out her Sports Leadership Academy.

7. Christians sometimes downplay Earth Day as skewing the relationship between man, God, and His creation, but I believe our task of stewardship is often neglected. Suggestions for crafts and activities can be found on Growing Kids Ministry. Participation with perspective can be found on Keepers of the Home.

8. I've included a video reading of the book below.

9. Check out these and other related Perfect Picture Books at your local library.

Reviewed by Beth

Reviewed by Patricia



Reviewed by Vivian

Reviewed by Joanne





Reviewed by Patricia

Reviewed by Erik





Have you reviewed a Perfect Picture Book along this theme? Please leave the link in the comments below. Thanks!

Check out all the recommended titles for Perfect Picture Book Friday
for Friday, April 21, 2017 available on Susanna Leonard Hill's blog.

*I do not necessarily endorse the ministries listed, but recommend the content of the links provided.

Explore, Play, Imagine

"Writing gives me the opportunity to explore ideas, play with language, solve problems, use my imagination, and draw on my own childhood."
-Jack Prelutsky



Courtesy Pratt Institute Libraries

*Via Inspirational

Straight to the Heart

"I love that poetry can make a beeline for the heart."
—Nikki Grimes*




Bee hive bookplate of Alexander Briggs

*Via The Little Crooked Cottage

Tolkien Reading Day 2017

This year's theme is Poetry and Songs

Share your favorite quote and which of Tolkien's works you'll be reading today using #TolkienReadingDay


The Guardian reported last year that two more poems from Tolkien's college days were discovered: one new and one early draft. Why not use today's celebration as the impetus to seek them out?

Enjoy this clop from Peter Jackson's An Unexpected Journey, featuring the haunting musical rendition of "Misty Mountains."

Thanks to the Tolkien Society for creating and perpetuating this event.

"Farewell...May the stars shine upon your faces"

PPBF: Winter Trees

Today's Perfect Picture Book Friday pick

Winter Trees, poetry in linoleum print collage,
by Carole Gerber and Leslie Evans 

Winter Trees
Written Carole Gerber
Illustrated by Leslie Evans

Charlesbridge, 2008
Grades K-5, 507 words
reading level 3.7


Themes:
Poetry, Nature, Winter


Opening:
Crunch! We walk through fresh new snow that sparkles on the frozen ground.
It's peaceful here among the trees—our footsteps make the only sound.


Synopsis:
Illustrated with linoleum prints, the book follows a child's trip through the woods, identifying seven species of trees as they appear in winter, leafless.
Both the MC and his dog explore the woods using all of their senses to enjoy the beauty of winter even as the text identifies characteristics of the trees found in most Northeastern deciduous forests. Intricate illustrations and lyrical text make distinguishing different types of trees easy--even in the middle of winter, when only bare branches stand like skeletons against the sky.


What I Love:
I love the perspective used in this book. Thinking about how nature looks during a different season makes this story fresh. Leave it to a poet to see things with new eyes. Startlingly beautiful as a walk in the woods, when your heart pounds and you hold your breath because the stillness is so complete. Rhyme is off in one places with a couple nearly-off meters, but still rhythmic and informative, moving the narrative forward. I loved it. Highly recommended!

Selected for the 2008 John Burroughs Young Readers List and as a NSTA/CBC Outstanding Tradebook for 2009.


Bonus: 


Thanks to Stacey of GluedToMyCrafts
for this crafty painted tree

1. Obviously, the best activity would be to use this book as a guide and see how many of the trees in your neighborhood match the trees in the book. If you don't live near a deciduous forest, use your senses to take note of the trees which grow in your area. I recently reviewed Welcome to New Zealand, where I posted links for starting a nature journal along with the suggestions mentioned in the book.


2. Sue blogs about ideas to look for and record in your nature notebook every "Wild Wednesday" on Archimedes Notebook.

3.For a holiday themed tree craft, get messy on KidsActivitiesBlog using their instructions for a cute handprint Christmas tree.

4. eHow has step-by-stepp instructions for creating birdseed ornament feeders which readers con hang during their nature walks.

5. Where Imagination Grows produced simple glass jar luminaries for fall, but by changing the color of the tissue paper, I think these would be a beautiful craft to go along with the book, and they double as pretty teacher gifts.

6.A few cookies and a little decorator's icing from FineMotorSkills, and you'll have cookies as pretty as hers, decked out in wintery branches and snowflakes. Her step-by-step instructions include plenty of photos and her text is easy to follow.

7. Check out these and more Perfect Picture Books at your local library.



Reviewed by Sue

Reviewed by Penny



Reviewed by Loni

Reviewed by Cathy

Reviewed by Susanna

Reviewed by Joanne



Reviewed by Julie

Reviewed by Joanne



Have you reviewed a Perfect Picture Book along this theme? Please leave the link in the comments below. Thanks!

Check out all the recommended titles for Perfect Picture Book Friday
for Friday, December 2, 2016 available on Susanna Leonard Hill's blog.

Catalog

I have so many books, I've started using cats as bookends.

Excerpt from "Catalog" by Rosalie Moore


Cats sleep fat and walk thin.
Cats, when they sleep, slump;
When they wake, pull in—
And where the plump's been
There's skin.
Cats walk thin.

...

A cat condenses.
He pulls in his tail to go under bridges,
And himself to go under fences.
Cats fit
In any size box or kit;
And if a large pumpkin grew under one,
He could arch over it.


from Cat Poems, selected by Myra Cohn Livingston



Cat Poems,
by Myra Cohn Livingston and Trina Schart Hyman

 

Celebrate National Poetry Month!

https://www.poets.org/national-poetry-month/home

Everywhere You Listen

"The poet doesn’t invent. He listens."
– Jean Cocteau*

Bookplate art by Mariaelisa Leboroni

*Via Inspirational

PPBF: A Tree For Me

Today's Perfect Picture Book Friday pick



A Tree For Me, a rhyming concept book
by Nancy Von Laan and Sheila White Samton

A Tree For Me

Written by  Nancy Van Laan
IIllustrated by Sheila White Samton
Alfred A. Knopf, 2000
Grades Kindergarten-3, Lexile 250L


Themes:
Concept,  Counting, Poetry, Nature


Opening:
"All around the hill where the brook runs free, I look, look, look for a tree for me. Big one, small one, skinny one, tall one, old one, fat one, I chose that one!"


Synopsis:
A child rambles through the woods looking for the perfect tree to climb. He stumbles across wildlife, counting from one to five. It seems every place he wants to perch is already occupied. When he finally finds the perfect tree, the last verse of the story brings a satisfying circular ending with all the creatures he has encountered.


What I Love:
The concept may seem too simple, but the author pulls it off beautifully. Her rhymes are fun to read aloud and move the story, rather than bogging it down. The text captures a child's exuberance and wonder at the outdoors. Need more examples?
"Up I go to the tippy tip top. Uh-oh! Oh, no! Wait a minute. STOP! I'm mistaken. This one's taken."

Lots of white space surround the bright mixed media style. The illustrations are perfect for little fingers to point and squeal. They energize the already bouncy language and keep the reader turning pages. Perfect for National Poetry Month, Earth Day, or any day.


Bonus: 




Pretzel and grape tree snack courtesy TheSeasonedMom

1. Teaching Books has teacher resources for A Tree For Me and other books by the author and illustrator.


2. Art imitates life! Art teacher Candace Ashment has a beautiful example of a collage project using the tracings of the students' hands. The Missing Piece uses quilts in the same way. Use her idea as a springboard kids can use to create woodland landscapes of their own.
3. Climb a tree. Take a nap. Trace the leaves. Start an acorn or pinecone collection.
4. HowtToNestForLess offers fun scavenger hunt printables to find outdoors or try the nature treasure hunt from TwinRocksOutdoorSchool.
5. HomeSchoolGiveawaysandFreebies offers a counting worksheet and other free resources focused on birds and their nests.
6. Check out these and more Perfect Picture Books at your local library.



Reviewed by Joanna

Reviewed by Susanna



Reviewed by Laura

Reviewed by GradeOnderful





Reviewed by Julie

Reviewed by Joanne





Join Mei Mei and Gong Gong
in their new book!

And please don't miss my review of Sylvia Liu's debut picture book,
A Morning With Grandpa. It's worth the look!



Have you reviewed a Perfect Picture Book along this theme? Please leave the link in the comments below. Thanks!

Check out all the recommended titles for Perfect Picture Book Friday
for Friday, April 22, 2016 available on Susanna Leonard Hill's blog.

The Pickety Fence

Courtesy Things I Like

"The Pickety Fence" by David McCord*

The pickety fence
The pickety fence
Give it a lick it's
The picket fence
Give it a lick it's
A clickety fence
Give it a lick it's
A lickety fence
Give it a lick
Give it a lick
Give it a lick
With a rickety stick
Pickety
Pickety
Pickety
Pick


*Reprinted in A New Treasury of Children's Poetry, selected and introduced by Joanna Cole, Doubleday 1984

Celebrate National Poetry Month!

https://www.poets.org/national-poetry-month/home

Everywhere You Look

"Poetry is everywhere; it just needs editing."
 – James Tate



Bookplate by Marina Richter, 2008

*Via Inspirational

Spring Morning

color version of E. H. Shepard illustration for "Spring Morning"

"Spring Morning" by A. A. Milne*

Where am I going? I don't quite know.
Down to the stream where the king-cups grow—
Up on the hill where the pine-trees blow —
Anywhere, anywhere. I don't know.

Where am I going? The clouds sail by,
Little ones, baby ones, over the sky.
Where am I going? The shadows pass,
Little ones, baby ones, over the grass.

If you were a cloud, and sailed up there,
You'd sail on water as blue as air.
And you'd see me here in the fields and say:
"Doesn't the sky look green today?"

Where am I going? The high rooks call:
"It's awful fun to be born at all."
Where am I going? The ring-doves coo:
"We do have beautiful things to do."

If you were a bird, and lived on high,
You'd lean on the wind when the wind came by,
You'd say to the wind when it took you away:
"That's where I wanted to go today!"

Where am I going? I don't quite know,
What does it matter where people go?
Down to the wood where the blue-bells grow—
Anywhere, anywhere. I don't know.



When We Were Very Young review



*from When We Were Very Young, Puffin Books, reissue 1992

 

Celebrate National Poetry Month!

https://www.poets.org/national-poetry-month/home